Brined and Roasted Turkey is a traditional American recipe for preparing the thanksgiving turkey by brining and then roasting using orange zest and rosemary butter for basting. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic American version of: Brined and Roasted Turkey.
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This is the classic American method for first brining and then roasting your turkey to perfection. This is a classic Thanksgiving go-to and results in a moist and flavoursome turkey. So, next year, why not try this recipe for your Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey.
Ingredients:
For the Brine:
750ml apple juice or cider
7.5l water
450g fine sea salt
400g brown sugar
Leaves from 4 fresh sprigs or rosemary
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp tricolour peppercorns
5 bay leaves
Pared zest from 3 oranges (use a peeler)
For the Turkey:
1 whole turkey (about 8–9kg) [save the neck and giblets for gravy]
100g butter, softened
Pared zest of 1 orange, removed in a peeler and thinly shredded
Leaves of 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, minced
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Combine all brine ingredients in a very large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and allow to cool completely.
Put turkey in another very large stockpot, brining bag and food-safe bucket then pour over the cooled brine solution. If turkey needs more liquid to be fully submerged, add up to 1.5l cold water. Seal the bag or cover pot (or bucket) tightly and refrigerate 16 to 18 hours. If turkey is not fully submerged, flip it halfway through. (I using a brining bag I usually put it inside a large bowl, as this makes it easier to handle and holds it in place.)
After brining, put the turkey in a clean sink and discard brine. Rinse turkey with cold water inside and out, then fill the sink with clean, cold water and soak turkey for 15 minutes to remove any excess salt. Drain the turkey then pat it dry.
Pre-heat your oven to 135°C and position a rack on the oven's lowest level.
Sit the turkey, breast side up, in a roasting pan, tucking its wings under the body. Cross the legs and tie with kitchen twine. Cover the turkey with heavy-duty kitchen foil, making sure that the foil is tucked under the pan. Roast the turkey 11 minutes 500g (for a 9kg turkey, roast about 3 hours, 20 minutes).
Meanwhile, prepare a rosemary-citrus butter. Combine the butter, orange zest and rosemary in a bowl. Season with salt and black pepper. Beat to combine the ingredients
Remove the foil covering the turkey and smear the rosemary-citrus butter all over skin of the bird. (Get in all the crevices.) Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into one turkey thigh, increase oven temperature to 180°C, then return the turkey to the oven, leaving it uncovered. Baste with meat juices and butter from bottom of pan every 30 minutes, and roast until thigh temperature registers 165°F. (For a 9kg turkey, an additional 90 minutes to 150 minutes.)
Remove from oven, cover with foil and set aside to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving serving. Save the drippings for preparing gravy.
